"Hm, it's getting quite bad out there." I comment as I watch some water pool into the cave with the help of shattering motions. The neverending pitter-patter of it all, never enough time between drops to catch when a group has met the ground. I almost want glass to steam up and draw on in order to ease the boredom a little.
"Up to you if we go through it and get wet, Einervaene. We're not really in danger so long as I make a point of using my magic." Brewbrt comments as he fiddles with some of the straps on his bag to the deprecation of his bowl of food.
"I know we're not on the farm, but you can at least eat. One moment you are too full and now you are running on nothing." I tell him, smiling a little in amusement as he seemingly remembers that the bowl next to him is his. How he could've forgotten, we shall never know.
"Not really feeling it." he remarks as he leans against his barely dried bag, tilting his jaw about as he considers the slowly cooling load of food. I reach out for and nudge his thunder-gold-covered foot until I get even a slight smirk from him.
"Come on, eat. We shouldn't be wasting food while we are on the move."
"Ooooo, arck at you." he goes as he picks up his bowl and starts to empty it.
"You remember the path to the next cave?" I ask him as he continues to scoff.
"Forgot our rations were from Farmer Sanoukou..." he praises in the breaths between mouthfuls.
"Brewbrt!" I go, louder, catching his attention as a bean slips from his beard after its sauce briefly gave it the ability to climb.
"Hm?" he lets out, slowly chewing on what his spoon had put in.
"The path ahead." I reiterate as he swallows.
"Oh, yeah. Yeah, I got it up in here." he says as he knocks his right temple gently with a clanking gauntlet.
"You know, all this cold water makes me really want a hot bath." I comment after silence had returned to us so he could finish his food. His magic brings in a load of rainwater and it is all cleaned before he provokes the fire to burn hotter. Tucking my legs in, it gently rumbles and shrinks away as the influence of wind magic vanishes. However, that which we had fueled it with is now far weaker and more ashen.
He smiles as I give him one in return, "I want to see my two favourite girls smiling in the same room."
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
I blush deeply and look away, "Shut up..."
"You love this voice and you know it." he cackles as he starts to get dressed properly, sorting everything away. I hand over what I can from my position and clicks and the sounds of pulled fabric block out the rain in a collection of instances.
Putting a hand near my mouth, it sparkles with magic and I flick some off at him, "Oops."
"Tsk, tsk." he goes as he rises with the heavy load back on his back. Standing up quickly, I make sure he is stable but he doesn't need my help and he moves to the exit.
"Is there something out there?" I question more so for the sake of talking.
"Rain, rain, gloriously annoying rain!" he sings jollily as he clutches some magic in his hand so that the fire can be blown out here and now.
"Oh, wait a moment..." I moan as my incomplete process of drying is drawn out for a little while longer. Nothing really comes of it and I do not moan any more as his magic takes out the undercontrol blaze.
"Come on, we have a lot of ground to cover if we want to make it back to your home."
"Yeah." I go, smiling a little at the thought of it, something I manage to keep even as the dangers of travelling present themselves again. A flash of lightning lights up the area and thankfully stays up in the sky, away from the ore-rich earth. Carefully, I manage my way down the slight slope before Brewbrt comes crashing down in a single hop. Thankfully, there are no puddles or anything of the sort near me or under his sabaton-covered feet.
The one that is afflicted by gold as well, it shines bright even in this dark, cloudy night. As if it is calling out to the storm up above for help or to boast of its connection to the Thunder God. Glancing at my soaked skin, I find myself frowning as I consider the impact Lightning departing has had on me. My skin is dulling and my hair has already lost much of its prior lustre.
Something I have gotten so used to seeing is now gone and I do not even need a mirror to know how lacking it has become. I am more or less back to what I was all that time ago, back when I climbed the Anvil-Peak for Lightning's help. I cannot weep for his departure, however, because he is out there right now, helping others. When the time comes, I say his name and he'll come back and at the very least, the greatest thing that can be made will exist in my life.
A home I can stay in, a family that is safe, it will all be tangible and physically observable. Not something in my head, not my dreams or fantasies but reality itself. I want to renew the memories of my mother and me smiling together. The happiness and the joy I felt growing up, like those moments when Father sent a letter to me with little gifts in the envelope and...
"Come on Brewbrt, hurry up!" I call out as a large figure in the dark moves over the soaked landscape. With a hand on my hat at all times, I prevent any sudden gusts from taking it off on them.
"You try walking ground like this with all of this on your back!" he complains as he stumbles and slips on over to me. With the help of my internal-magic, I manage to catch him in a stable grip and I can't help but laugh at the embarrassing display. It's a good thing we are the only ones stupid enough to be travelling in this weather! All the farmers in the area have already closed up their barns and houses.
Brewbrt's grip suddenly tightens on my shoulder before I walk out of it.
"Is something wron-" I ask before something slices into my eye.